RIAT History
The first Air Tattoo was held at North Weald, Essex in 1971. North Weald was then still owned by the Ministry of Defence and it was was inactive so it had to be re-activated for the event. North Weald also hosted the Air Tattoo in 1972 but in 1973 the M11 motorway was being built close to North Weald's main runway so a new location was found for the Air Tattoo at RAF Greenham Common. Greenham Common hosted more aircraft and 2 days were allocated for the event. It was very successful and was hosted there in 1974 also.

In 1975 with the loss of the Director of the IAT, the withdrawal of a major sponsor, and an international fuel crisis there wasn't an Air Tattoo. However a proposal was put to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund which decided to support future Air Tattoos at Greenham Common. In 1976 the show became the International Air Tattoo (IAT). The 1977 IAT was the last of the annual International Air Tattoos, as it was then held every other year.

The International Air Tattoos in 1979, 1981, and 1983 became bigger and better but the 1983 IAT was the last to be held at Greenham Common due to the build up of cruise missile facilities and the reduced area for a large airshow. In 1985, RAF Fairford was chosen as the venue to host the Air Tattoo. The static display stretched for nearly 2 miles and was the longest single line-up ever presented in the UK. Fairford hosted the event biennially until 1993 and annually since then.

In recognition of its unique status, the current title of 'Royal International Air Tattoo' was granted by Her Majesty The Queen in 1996.

During 2000 and 2001 the Royal International Air Tattoo was held at RAF Cottesmore, Rutland because RAF Fairford was having its runways resurfaced. RIAT returned back to RAF Fairford in 2002.

Day-specific tickets were introduced for the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in 2008 because RIAT 2007 saw many more people attending on Saturday rather than Sunday because the weather was forecast was much better for Saturday. This resulted in traffic chaos and long queues on Saturday. It is thought that issuing day-specific tickets (Saturday or Sunday) which will have to be bought in advance (there will be no on-the-day tickets) will solve the problems of RIAT 2007. It is still possible to purchase a ticket which covers both saturday and Sunday but at a higher price.

The Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in 2008 was cancelled both days (Saturday and Sunday) due to a sustained period of heavy rainfall resulting in waterlogged conditions in the public carparks and also the airfield. Unfortunately in 2008 the United States Air Force Air Combat Command's F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team had made the first trans-Atlantic flight to participate in the show. However, the F-22 Raptor appeared and displayed at RIAT 2010.

RIAT 2012 saw the debut of the excellent Black Eagles aerobatic team from South Korea.

RIAT 2014 was the first time in its history that the show has been open to the public on a Friday and included a flying display. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter was to make its anticipated European debut in 2014 but the type was grounded in the U.S. due to an F-35 engine failure so couldn't attend the Royal International Air Tattoo.

RIAT 2016 included the international display debut of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Six F-35 Lightning II were flown over to RAF Fairford in June 2016 to take part in the show. The six F-35s included three USAF F-35A Lightning II (conventional take off and landing variant), two USMC F-35B Lightning II (short-take off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant), and an RAF F-35B Lightning II. The F-22A Raptor also made a welcome return.

RIAT 2018 celebrated one hundred years of the Royal Air Force and had a full three days of airshows, with over 7 hours of flying on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Press Releases and News for RIAT 2019:

Showground Attractions:
Not only do visitors to the Air Tattoo experience amazing aviation in the skies, there is also a whole host of entertainment on the ground. There is something for everyone at the 2019 show, from static aircraft located throughout the showground to interactive activities and the most advanced technologies that are demonstrated in the Techno Zone, visitors can also take a trip back in time to the 1940s in the Vintage Village.

Techno Zone - The Techno Zone has aviation at its heart and is where the STEM subjects; science, technology, engineering and maths, are brought to life and showcased with cutting edge exhibits and interactive activities designed to engage and inspire future engineers.

RAF Experience - The Royal International Air Tattoo's RAF Experience is where you can learn about current operations, the specialised equipment used and the ways in which members of the Regular and Reserve force come together to deliver effective, 21st century airpower capability.

Vintage Village - Inside the themed marquee will be packed a programme of wonderful entertainment, where you can experience the 1940s through vintage aircraft, cars, and fashion as musical hall entertainers transport visitors to a bygone era.

Activity Zone - The Activity Zone offers a great variety of family entertainment. Visitors can have a go at high energy activities and watch some fun-filled demonstrations.

BAE Systems Heritage Collection - Throughout the years, the aircraft designed and built by BAE Systems and its predecessor businesses have led the way in aircraft innovation. See them at the BAE Systems Heritage Collection.

There are three Service Stations which contain catering, marquee with seating, visitor information, free WiFi, cash points, picnic benches/seating, and toilets. There will also be plenty of trade stands as usual at RIAT 2019.

RIAT 2019 Airshow

The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is a very large military Air show containing hundreds of modern military aircraft in the static line-up and air display from many different countries around the world.

This Airshow is usually held at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire which is a large base used infrequently by USAF deployments which makes it an ideal venue for such a large Airshow.

RIAT will have a three days of air displays on Friday (4 hours), Saturday and Sunday (both 7.5 hours) in 2019. You can also view the aircraft on arrival days and departure day.

RIAT 2019 Dates:

•19-21 July - Royal International Air Tattoo 2019

Royal International Air Tattoo 2019:

RIAT 2019 Themes:

The Air Tattoo's theme will be Air & Space: inspiring the Next Generation Air Force which follows an announcement earlier in 2018 that the Royal Air Force will be taking command and control of the UK's military space operations, reflecting the importance of space in ensuring successful military operations around the world.

Park and View 2019
Park and view is available to watch the aircraft arrivals on Wednesday 17th July & Thursday 18th July as well as aircraft departures on Monday 22th July 2019. Park and view is open from 7.30am to 7.30pm on arrivals days (17th & 18th) and 7.30am to 4.30pm on departures day (22nd).

There are two Park & View Enclosures, one situated at the East and one at the West end of the airfield. Both locations are signposted by yellow AA signs on the roads leading to the airfield. In the main, aircraft land and depart from the East end of the runway but this is dependent on the prevailing wind direction.

Car parks open at 6am with free parking. There are also toilets, catering, disabled parking, and a stepladder enclosure.